Wyoming ranks sixth in the nation for education according to U.S. News. Unfortunately, after Wyoming educates its youth, they often leave. Two-thirds of Wyoming-born residents have left for other states by the time they reach 30 years old.
I understand this very well. I loved growing up in Wyoming schools. There were advanced math and science courses, and plenty of academic-based extracurricular activities. My Wyoming education helped me get into some of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in the country for chemistry. It wasn’t until my senior year of undergrad at Harvey Mudd College that I realized my research-heavy STEM background felt like a one-way ticket out of the state I loved.
A professor talked to the graduating chemistry class and explained that the majority of chemistry research jobs were in New Jersey, and that graduate degrees were recommended for progression in one’s career. While claiming most jobs were in NJ was an overstatement, I started looking at the job market despite already signing with a grad school. To my dismay, I found the chemistry research jobs I found interesting were predominantly on the coasts.
I went to graduate school then moved around the country, gaining industry experience, always longing to go back to Wyoming. I noticed Wyoming STEM jobs were predominantly in manufacturing. I slowly started expanding my skills; I got an MBA and transitioned from making milligrams of new pharmaceuticals to process chemistry for consumer products and specialty chemicals. I monitored STEM jobs in Wyoming for years and didn’t find one in my specific field until I made some pivots 20 years after leaving. I eventually boomeranged back to bring my industry research and commercialization experience home to advise startups, first for IMPACT 307 and now for the Wyoming SBDC Network.
The problem of retaining Wyomingite STEM professionals - or recruiting them back after they have been trained elsewhere - is multi-faceted. I have seen firsthand how industry hiring managers respond differently to a resume with a Wyoming address. If an applicant isn’t here now, they are often considered an outsider. There is an assumption that if someone doesn’t currently live in Wyoming, they will leave after their first winter or their first six-hour drive for a Target run.
However, this problem is external to the STEM professionals and is better addressed by industries or economic development organizations (EDOs). Looking within the professional’s control, the options for research-heavy STEM careers are often not in plain sight because they have yet to be created.
If you are a STEM professional looking for a research-heavy job in Wyoming, the answer may not be on Indeed or LinkedIn. It could be on grants.gov or agency-specific SBIR/STTR webpages. I understand that starting a STEM-focused business can feel overwhelming, and that an out-of-state industry job might be the path of least resistance. However, if you are up for the challenge, you are far from alone. The Wyoming SBDC Network and many other Wyoming EDOs can help.
SBIR/STTR are federal grants. Government agencies post research problems for small businesses to solve with research proposals. While funding amounts differ, typical Phase I grants range from $50K to $300K, and Phase II grants range from $400K to $1.83 million. Companies can typically apply for Phase II after completing Phase I, though some programs allow you to go straight to Phase II.
The Wyoming SBDC Network can help you locate funding. Our partners at the APEX Accelerator can help find government contracts and secure the registration numbers needed for grant applications. WSSI/FAST can assist with the SBIR/STTR process, and WSSI can even help fund your proposal writing through a Phase 0 grant funded by the Wyoming Business Council. The rest of the SBDC team provides general business advising, market research, and cybersecurity support.
Please contact us today if you are curious about starting your own business or securing funding through federal grants and contracts.
